Brother
by SpiderFangWolverine123
Summary: "If you don't come back, I'm going to hate you forever." "I miss you, too, Charlie." It's clear that John helped Charlotte heal from her experiences. But no one may ever know how much. Rated T merely because I'm paranoid.
1. Nightmare

**Hey, everyone! **

**This is something new. I'm not sure if this will turn out to be a one-shot, or a collection of one-shots. We'll see. **

**If you haven't seen **_**The Tomorrow People,**_** I strongly suggest you find a way to watch it. They only made one season, but the last episode pretty much wraps everything up nicely, so I was happy with it ending where it did. **

**One of my favorite relationships in the series was the one between John and Charlotte. There was just something so protective, innocent, and sweet about it. I didn't think the show gave it enough attention. So this is my solution. **

**Enjoy!**

**Brother**

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><p><em>Screams echo down the hallway. A piercing cry to her right rattles the girl, and she shrinks back, resisting against the strong guards at her sides. They take no notice, wrenching her up further. <em>

_Tears prick the girl's eyes, but they don't fall. They stopped falling long ago. Right about the time when she gave up. _

_The girl trips over her own feet, and part of her doesn't want to stand back up. Part of her wishes that she could stay limp. That they would let her fall. Let her die. _

_The guards heft her up, yanking on her arms. A small whimper falls from her lips, but she doesn't cry. She saves those for later, when she'll really want to scream. _

_The men at her sides pause next to a door. One of them slides a key card into a small slot in the wall. A beep, and the red light above the door turns green. The door slides open with a hiss, and the guards pull her inside. _

_A chair sits in the center of the bland room, cuffs on the arms and legs. She whimpers, and hesitates, causing the men to roughly shove her forward. One of them sets her in the chair, ignoring her shaking breath, and slight cries of fear. He fastens the restraints, testing them slightly to make sure they hold. _

_He exits, his partner following close behind. Once they leave, the girl sags against the restraints, closing her eyes. She wishes to fall asleep. A few minutes of blissful ignorance. She gets no such gift. _

_The door opens again, and a woman in a labcoat enters. Her arms start shaking, fear making her heart race. The woman, though her appearance makes no difference to the girl, is dark skinned, her frizzy hair pulled back taut in a bun. She attaches different monitors to her, as the girl turns her head away._

_The woman straps a wire to the girls arm, then gives the whole set up a once-over. She nods to herself, and leaves the room. Once again, the girl collapses against the chair, but this time in despair. She's trapped. Trapped, afraid, and helpless. There is no way out of the cycle. No way out of the chair. No way out of her life. _

_Suddenly, a familiar buzzing in her arm, vibrating out to her entire body, snaps her mind to attention. The electricity increases, quickly turning from uncomfortable to painful. Slowly, the pain level rises, until the girl can't hold her cries inside. She screams, loud and raw, as the electricity tears at her being, filling every cell in her body with the horrible, nausea-inducing anguish._

_There is no escape. Not from the pain. Not from this place. Not from her life._

* * *

><p>"Charlie! Charlie!" John said sharply, holding Charlotte's shoulders as she twisted, crying silently.<p>

"C'mon, Charlie, wake up." He begged her. "It's just a nightmare. You have to wake up. It isn't real."

Russell stood at the door of Charlotte's room, leaning on the doorframe for support. His face was screwed up in pain, and he hissed when a sharp stab of pain penetrated his mind.

"John, do something." He rasped, closing his eyes tightly.

"Charlie, wake up." John said in a low, desperate voice. "Please just wake up."

* * *

><p><em>The pain was unbearable, searing her whole body, making her lose control. She tried to relax, give them what they wanted, but she couldn't. Too much pain, too much fear.<em>

_**...Charlie...wake up…**_

_She screamed loudly, the only time she really made a noise. She felt her throat tearing, growing sore, but she couldn't stop, had to scream, had to do something. _

_**...just a dream...not real…**_

_Charlotte forced her eyes open in the chair, taking in her surroundings. The pain was still there, searing away. Her voice still wailed, ringing out like a siren. _

_She looked at the glass window, where the doctors stood, studying her reactions, scribbling on their clipboards._

_**...not real...come back…**_

_Each of them was featureless. Like mannequins. Fake. Featureless. Not people. Monsters. _

_The glass shattered, and the people crawled through the window, slithering along the floor, gaping holes appearing where their mouths should be. Small needle-like teeth stuck out, and the creatures hissed, making their way toward her._

_**...please...wake up...I'm here...**_

_Charlotte screeched, yanking at the restraints holding her still, as the creatures crept closer and closer, until she could see every detail in their horrid, gastly mouths._

She shot straight up, panic blinding her. Charlotte felt strong arms wrap around her, holding her still. She screamed, fighting for a moment, tears running down her cheeks. Then she heard the voice.

"Charlie, it's John." He said loudly, trying to capture her attention. "You're safe; I got you."

Charlotte sagged against him, relief renewing her tears. She clutched John tightly, desperately hoping this wasn't a cruel dream, or trick.

She heard a sigh of relief by the door. Russell's voice rang out loudly in the small space.

"Thanks, John." He said, sounding exhausted. "I'll go tell the others it's over."

Charlotte reluctantly pulled back, looking up at John. She searched his expression for a sign of fading pain, and remorse stabbed her heart when she located it. Tears welled in her eyes, and she stared down at the bedspread, shame coursing through her.

"I didn't mean to." She whispered. "I don't mean to hurt people."

John's arms wrapped around her again. He pulled her to his chest, resting his chin on top of her head. He gently stroked her hair, his other hand holding her close.

"Shh…" He soothed her. "You're fine."

Charlotte sobbed, a sharp sound that hurt John worse than any pain she could cause him. "I hurt you." She cried. John pulled his head away when she looked up in his eyes. "The other Tomorrow People don't deserve this." She closed her eyes, leaning against his chest, tears falling to the blanket below her. "They don't deserve to be hurt."

John closed his eyes, emotion choking him for a moment. "You're right." He whispered. Charlotte looked up at him questioningly, her eyes glistening. "They don't deserve any more pain than they have already been through."

Charlotte blinked, hurt crossing her face in spite of herself. Quickly, John grasped her shoulders, and looked intently into her eyes.

"But neither do you." He insisted. "Charlotte, you've been through so much. You can't help it if it's hard to recover."

"But I'm dangerous." She cried. Charlotte took a shuddering breath in. "I'd be better off if you let me live on the street." She pulled back, dropping her head into her arms.

"No, Charlotte." John quietly disagreed. "I won't give up on you." He shifted to sit beside her, and draped an arm over her shoulders, feeling her shiver. "And besides, its getting better."

"I still have the dreams." Charlotte whispered, peeking her eyes out from her arms. "Every night."

John nodded, closing his eyes for a moment. "I do, too." He murmured, so quietly Charlotte wondered if he'd meant for her to hear it.

"What do you dream about?" She asked quietly.

John clenched his eyes closed, images flying by.

_The man at the comic book stand grunted. A hand tentatively reached up and brushed the red bullet wound in his chest. He looked up, and met eyes with John for a moment, before collapsing to the ground._

_John stared at Jedekiah through the glass of the machine, the wires stuck to him icy cold. John saw Jedekiah nod at him in encouragement. _

_Roger stood with his hands raised, a pleading look on his face. John's finger tightened minisculely on the trigger, and the bullet burst from the gun. Roger jerked, and looked at him in shock, and hurt, before falling to the ground, one hand resting on the spot of blood that was gradually growing larger by the second…_

John forced his eyes open and he looked down at Charlotte. She looked up at him in concern, her expression almost innocent. No, not innocent. Charlotte had been through too much to be innocent. She knew what horrors the world contained. She knew what kind of things humans did, supposedly to maintain their humanity.

"I hope you never know." John murmured to her. She wrapped her slender arms around him, tucking her head into his chest.

"I'm sorry you dream about bad things." Charlotte whispered.

"Me, too, Charlie." John said. "Me, too."

Gradually, Charlotte's head dipped lower and caught her as she started to fall, and gently laid her on the bed, pulling the covers over her. John brushed a hand over her long hair, clearing it away from her face. As he was standing up, Charlotte's small hand caught his.

"Wait…" She said sleepily. "Don't leave…"

John sank back down, and intertwined his fingers with Charlotte's. Still clutching his hand, she rolled slightly, sighing with peace, and sinking lower into the mattress.

John smiled. He looked down at her, and pulled the covers up a little more. "Don't worry, Charlie." He murmured. "I'll never leave you."

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><p><strong>That's all for now. Just a scenario that's been bugging me for weeks. I had to get it out of my brain. <strong>

**Review. Let me know what you think. And if you watch **_**The Tomorrow People**_** let me know what you thought of the show. Did I give an accurate depiction of the characters?**

**Cheers!**


	2. Guardian Angel

**Hope you all liked that last one. I did. : )**

**Without further ado, here is the next one.**

**Author's Note: Please keep in mind that these are merely a collection of events where John comforts or otherwise aids Charlotte. The chapters are unrelated, and do not contain a long, chapter by chapter, story. Each chapter is it's own story. **

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned **_**The Tomorrow People**_**, but fate can be cruel. Give credit to the amazing TV show to the creators.**

**Enjoy!**

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Charlotte opened her eyes, fear constricting her throat for a moment. It choked her, cutting off her breathing, until the ceiling came into focus. The Lair's ceiling. More specifically, John's room's ceiling. Charlotte felt her entire body relax, relief flooding her veins.

Slowly, she pushed herself into a sitting position. Glancing around, she realised she was sitting in John's bed, while he was nowhere to be seen. Dimly, Charlotte recalled waking up from a nightmare, and running from her room, the screams of her companions at the Citadel ringing in her memory. She ran careening down the halls, blinded by her tears.

She remembered strong arms catching her, pulling her into a comforting embrace. Easily, John had pulled her up, and carried her to his room, while Charlotte cried into his neck. She remembered him stroking her hair, his other hand gently holding hers, as she fell back to sleep.

Charlotte slipped off of his bed, and walked quietly toward the door. She peeked out, searching for others. Seeing no one, she crept out, softly easing the door shut behind her. Charlotte made her way down the walkway, her hair swinging forward to shield her face, her arms rubbing her upper arms to ward off the morning chill.

Ever since arriving at the Lair, things had been different. At the Citadel, Charlotte had had no knowledge of others like her, outside of the facility. Here, she had companions, friends who knew how hard it was to not understand why they had powers, who were just as scared as her when they showed up.

However, none of the Tomorrow People at the lair, save John, knew what her daily life had been like, living at the Citadel. Even John, who had undergone the Anex project, only had a vague notion of how bad it got. Cara was the one with the most intimate knowledge of her torture, a result of her advanced telepathic skills.

When she arrived at the Lair, Charlotte had hoped that she could blend in for once. Merely be one in a group. But she quickly discovered that her past at the Citadel hurt her then, and excluded her now. She was like the village pariah, ostracized because of her young age, strange abilities, and haunting past.

She turned down another hallway, concern showing on her face when she again, saw no one. Where was everyone? Normally the halls were crowded with people by this time, playing pranks, shouting, laughing, and generally making noise. On a regular day, Charlotte would hide out, avoiding the chaos until John could find and protect her, shield her from the probing eyes, and questioning gazes.

Now, Charlotte looked in earnest, searching for the presence of anyone in the halls. Fear of the unknown was creeping up on her, causing her hands to shake, and her breath to quicken.

Panic lighting in her chest, she ran down the last stretch to the main area. She turned the corner, stopping short. Everyone seemed to be gathered in one large group, restlessly moving about themselves. In an instant, the comfort this discovery provided was shoved aside by her own timidness. Charlotte hugged the wall, creeping around the edge of the room.

Suddenly, Russell teleported in, a large box in his arms. Behind him, Cara and John flashed in, holding similar boxes of their own. Russell laughed as he made his way through the crowd, setting the cardboard box down on the table in the center of the sitting area. John and Cara followed, placing their boxes next to his. The two of them leaned close, their conversation quiet, but earnest.

Russell glanced up, and saw Charlotte hanging back. He smiled, and walked forward, the crowd parting to accommodate him. Charlotte looked to the floor, her face awash with heat as she felt the eyes of the crowd on her.

"Hey, Charlie." Russell greeted her, placing an arm around her shoulders and giving her a slight squeeze. "Top of the morning to ya." His voice became a rough parody of a slightly familiar accent.

Charlotte smiled, averting her eyes to the floor. "What's in the boxes?" She asked quietly, her voice almost lost among all the others in the room. Silently, Charlotte cursed herself, and her weakness.

_Can't even speak._ She inwardly grumbled. _Acting like a four year old. _

"Since we can't go up to the 'human world'" He accented the words with quotation fingers, "We bring some of the vaccines they use down here. The last thing we need is somebody breaking out with weasles."

Charlotte smiled. "Measles." She corrected.

Russell cocked his head, seeming to consider her proposition. "No, I'm pretty sure it's weasles." He decided. He grinned down at her. "Believe me, weasles are bad. Those beady eyes? Scrawny nose? Big front teeth?" He squinted down at her, peering close at her face.

"Actually, kind of like you." He said with mock surprise. Charlotte gasped, shoving him lightly, a smile lighting up her face. He took a step back, holding up his hands.

"Whoa, man, chill. Don't kill me." He begged her, laughing as she lunged forward at him. "Too slow." He jaded her, dodging a few times more. Finally, he froze when she leaped at him, so that she jumped straight into his arms. He closed his arms around her, pretending to have her caged, even though his grip was loose, and easily escapable.

Charlotte laughed, ducking under his legs and popping up behind him. She jumped up, climbing onto his back, piggy-back style. Russell turned around a few times, pretending to not know where she was. Finally, he reached up, grabbed her around the waist, and lifted her down over his head, flipping her over before setting her on her feet.

"You're fast," Russell said with a sly grin. "But not fast enough."

The words sent shivers down Charlotte's spine. She'd heard them before, somewhere. She felt the tingles of a flashback tickling the edge of her mind, but she shoved it back, repressing the memory, even though Morgan said it was better to accept them. Charlotte didn't want to accept them. She wanted to destroy them.

In a flash, Russell teleported behind her, and grabbed her in a huge bear hug, growling theatrically as he lifted her off the floor. Charlotte screeched a laugh, kicking her legs until he set her down again.

"Russell." John's voice cut through their fun, and Russell ruffled her hair, before making his way toward the pair. Charlotte was left, still smiling, echoes of Russells infectious laugh playing in her mind.

Charlotte heard whispers, and her gaze jerked up from the floor to the people in front of her. Most of them were focused on John, Cara, and Russell standing up at the front, still having a discussion. Others, though, watched with a sickening curiosity, their expressions suspicious. Charlotte ducked her head, silently begging John to rescue her.

_Please, John. _She thought._ They're all staring at me._

Abruptly, Charlotte felt a disturbance behind her. She glanced up, and immediately threw her arms around the arrival. John laughed, and wrapped his own arms around her, slyly maneuvering her to his other side, out of view of the prying eyes of the crowd.

"Thank you." Charlotte breathed, sagging gratefully against him.

"I wouldn't leave you to fend for yourself." John laughed, squeezing her shoulders. "Although, I'm a little surprised. You can take down a band of crazy Homosuperior rogues with a single thought, but you can't stand the thought of people looking at you."

"It's not that they're looking at me." Charlotte replied. "It's what they're thinking about me."

"I know." John said, his voice somber. "They shouldn't judge you, Charlie."

"But they do." Charlie deadpanned. "I can't change that and I can't stop them." Her voice took on a tearful quality. "I'll always just be the freak from the Citadel."

John stopped, gripping her shoulders. He looked intently in her eyes, waiting until she met his eyes. "That is not true." John denied. "You are so much more than that, Charlie."

She smiled weakly, and nodded. John sighed, straightening, and resumed walking.

"John," Cara called, concern etched on her face. John started walking toward her, pulling Charlotte along.

"We'll have to make another quick run." Cara murmured quietly, with a glance at Charlotte. "It shouldn't take too long." She promised, with a sympathetic look at the two.

John sighed, reluctantly pulling away from Charlotte. He looked down at her. "Don't worry. I'll be back."

"You better." Charlotte said firmly, but her throat was already constricting, her heart already yearning for him to return. He hadn't even left yet.

John smiled, and brushed a hand over her face. Leaning down, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. When he pulled back, he wrapped his arms around her, maneuvering her into an embrace that held her tightly, saying more than words could ever express. Charlotte hugged him back, pressing her face into his chest, breathing in his comforting scent, one that promised safety and protection.

Eventually, John pulled away, and moved toward the exit with Russell while Cara hung back for a moment. Charlotte clung to John's hand, stretching out her arm as he separated from her. John grudgingly pulled his hand away, forcing himself not to look back, not to make it harder for either of them than it had to be.

John quickly teleported from the lair, regret filling his heart.

The truth was, he loved Charlotte. Not like Cara, not like...that kind of love. His love for Charlotte was different, almost deeper. He felt her pain when he left, he felt that same pain to leave her. She was in many ways the only one that understood him. Though what she had gone through was much worse than his experiences, she understood how it felt to be different.

More than that, she needed protection. After he and Cara had found Stephen, and Cara had taken over the Lair, John hadn't had a purpose. Not in charge of helping the Tomorrow People, not in charge of taking down Ultra. In many ways, he had felt...useless.

Charlotte gave him a purpose. She gave him a reason to stay around, because if it weren't for her, he probably wouldn't. Cara would have been the only doubt he would have harbored, but with the way Stephen and Cara were looking at each other….John suspected that it wouldn't be too long before that wasn't a problem.

John felt a pang of fear, though he tried to repress it. He felt it every time he left her alone. Though he knew she was protected at the Lair, he still worried. He ached to be back where he could be sure that she was safe.

John focused on the task at hand. The sooner he accomplished this, the sooner he could be back at the Lair. Back with Charlotte.

Back where he belonged.

line break

Charlotte felt the sting of abandonment when John teleported out, though she quickly stifled it, not wanting John to catch the thought.

Cara looked into the crowd around her, and picked out a teenager from the mix. Around seventeen, he was new to the Lair, and in Charlotte's opinion, a jerk. He always wore this arrogant expression like being a Tomorrow Person was something to be proud of. Like it made him better than everyone in the world. Not only that, but for some reason, he felt that he was better than even the Tomorrow People that had found shelter in the Lair.

"Tanner, I need you to handle something for me." She asked. Tanner smirked, shifting his posture, thrusting his chin up with an air of importance.

"Your mother was a nurse, correct?" Cara asked disdainfully. Charlotte could tell that Cara disliked Tanner as well, but he was the best suited for whatever she had in mind.

"Yep." Tanner confirmed. He looked smugly around at the crowd.

"Good." Cara said shortly. "I need you to give people these vaccines. Think you can handle that?"

Tanner blinked for a moment, and then resumed the superior expression. "Of course." He said pompously. "My mom showed me all the tricks of the trade. But, you know, if you need an extra hand on the run…"

"No." Cara rejected. She turned away from Tanner, and Charlotte shivered at the expression of anger on his face.

Cara walked over to Charlotte. She crouched down, and took Charlotte's hands in her own. "You okay?" She asked gently.

"I-I miss John." Charlotte admitted, her voice thick.

Cara smiled sympathetically. "I know, sweetie. Don't worry, I'll keep him safe."

Charlotte nodded, unable to do anything else. Cara smiled, briskly squeezed her hands once, and then stood, teleporting out once she had enough speed.

Tanner sighed, a loud obnoxious sound. "Well, you heard her, people." Tanner ordered. "I'm in charge." He grinned, enjoying the power. "Get in a line. Let's get this done."

Charlotte quickly shrunk to the back of the room, grabbing her school books off on of the couches. Morgan grabbed them on a run, because she thought it was important that Charlotte have an education. Charlotte didn't much see the point of it.

She sat down on the floor, setting her books on the aged coffee table. Charlotte opened her math book, reluctantly beginning the difficult problems.

A shadow fell over her books. A familiar voice rang out behind her. "You know, normally when you add two numbers, you don't get something less than when you started." Morgan crouched next to her, an amused expression on her face.

Charlotte sighed, setting down per pencil. "Sorry." She apologized. "I'm-"

"Worried about John." Morgan finished. She flashed a smile. "I know. Try to relax. John's a big boy. He can handle himself."

Charlotte nodded, but the pit of worry didn't dissipate. Morgan stood up, and squeezed Charlotte's shoulder comfortingly.

"I want you to focus on your school work, got it?" Morgan said, feigning firmness.

Charlotte smiled. "Okay, Morgan." She bent over the book, pretending to be intent on her work.

Morgan laughed. "Good. You keep at it."

As Morgan walked away, Charlotte sighed. Morgan was never officially given the job of Charlotte-babysitter, but she seemed to fill the position pretty well. Between her and John, Charlotte was hardly every alone.

It wasn't that she wasn't grateful for them taking care of her. It wasn't even that she didn't believe she didn't need it. On a good day, they'd be lucky if she only had two flashbacks. On a bad day…

Regardless, it was comforting to know that if she did fall apart, those two would be there to help her stand back up. The main thing that bothered Charlotte was that she needed the constant supervision. If it was up to her, she would grow up. In an instant, so that people would stop seeing her as the baby that needed it's diaper changed.

Charlotte sighed. She wished she could be strong, like John. He never had flashbacks. Well, never gave in to one. He didn't curl up in a little ball on the floor, screaming, mentally attacking those around him…

A sudden presence behind Charlotte pulled her from her thoughts. She spun around, a smile already plastered on her face.

"Okay, Morgan, okay, I'm work-" She froze when she realized it wasn't Morgan standing in front of her. It was Tanner. He held a shot in one hand, and a bottle of anesthetics in the other.

"Hey, Charlotte, right?" Tanner drawled, looking bored. And grumpy. "Everyone's supposed to get one of these. You didn't line up." He placed the equipment on the table next to her school things, holding a hand out for her arm.

Charlotte stood slowly, and took a step back. When she spoke, her voice shook violently. "I-I d-don't need one." She stuttered, her whole body seizing in fear.

Tanner rolled his eyes, either not catching or not caring about her fear. "Everyone is supposed to get one." He said impatiently. "Just hold out your hand."

"Not me." Charlotte shook her head.

Tanner sighed heavily through his nose. He stood up, looking even more irritated when Charlotte took a few fearful steps back. Tanner reached out, and clasped a hand around her wrist, roughly tugging her back toward him.

Charlotte screamed, her voice radiating throughout the room. She lurched back, freeing herself from Tanner's grip, as her vision tunneled, and her breath sped up.

_Charlotte yanked away from the guards, their attention momentarily hindered by another captive, shrieking in their cell._ _She began sprinting in the other direction, desperation spurring her on. The guards footsteps pounded behind her, and she yelled once as she ran, fear and adrenaline giving her extra strength. _

_Suddenly, Charlotte careened around a corner, and she crashed into a wall of orderlies. One of them gripped her arms tightly, wrenching her to her feet. She screamed with all her might, thrashing around. It took three of the men to restrain her. Finally, she gave in, her chest heaving. _

_From behind the crowd, one of the doctors walked out, a triumphant grin plastered on his face. "Wonderful effort, Charlotte." He laughed. He walked over to her, and stroked a hand along her face. "You're fast." He admitted. Then his face shut down with cruelty. "Just not fast enough." Moving quickly, he jammed a needle into her arm. Charlotte cried out, mostly from despair rather than pain. _

"_Sleep well, little Charlotte." The doctor murmured. "You will pay for this dearly when you wake." _

line break

Charlotte gasped, skittering backwards, until she collided solidly with a wall. She could hear voices all around her, concerned, curious, angry, pitying. Charlotte's vision was swimming, and she felt nausea simmering in her stomach.

"Charlotte…"

"...some kind of fit…"

"She's gonna flip…"

"Someone drug her or something…"

Charlotte felt a hand land on her shoulder, and she screamed, clamping her hands over her ears. Charlotte felt the pressure building up in her head. It couldn't be contained. It had nowhere to go. It just got bigger and bigger and bigger and-

"Ah!" Someone cried. "She's doing it again!"

More people around her began crying out, as Charlotte curled in on herself. Charlotte screamed in fear, tears running down her face.

"John!" She sobbed. "Please! Help me!"

Suddenly, Charlotte felt strong arms curl around her. She pressed into them.

"Shh, Charlie, it's okay." John's calm, but pained, voice came through to her. "I've got you. You're okay."

Slowly, her sobs subsided, and the cries of pain around her died out. Charlotte clung tighter to John, gasping tearfully.

"I couldn't-they had-he-he tried-" She stuttered, panic still alight in her chest.

John tucked her head into his chest, holding her tightly. "You're safe, Charlie." He promised softly. "No one's going to hurt you."

Charlotte felt exhaustion settle on her, and her eyelids began to droop. John noticed, and smiled lightly.

"Sleep, Charlie." He said gently. "I'm here."

Charlotte felt herself slip into sleep, more easily than she had in days. It didn't matter that Tanner was nearby. It didn't matter what had happened in the past. It didn't matter what nightmares plagued her dreams.

All that mattered was that when she needed him, John would always be there for her. To hold her, to comfort her. To protect her.

Her guardian angel.

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**Let me know what you think. I liked it, but it was a little too much story, not enough comfort and angst, in my opinion. **

***shrug* I guess they can't all be winners. **


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